Breathe
by ThisCatalyst'sPen
Summary: One mistake is all it ever takes...
1. Prologue

**A/n: Had this idea for a while now, and seeing as I'm at home with a headache and nothing better to do, I thought I'd post a little teaser.**

* * *

_**B**reathe_

* * *

~Prologue~

The rain made him shiver. It soaked through his broken body, cold and uncaring. Each cold drop was a glacial pang of pain, like the stab of a dagger of ice frozen from a poisoned well.

It was so cold, _how could it be this cold? _Violent shivers racked his body, sapping away the little strength he had left, leaving him as cold and empty as a grave.

There was a pain in his chest, leaving him breathless. _Just breathe, breathe...can't breathe...can't...breathe..._

Cruel hands grabbed at him, bruising his skin, cold and calloused. Boots kicked him in the side, at his exposed head, anywhere they could. He whimpered as the pain flared in his ribs, sharp and hot. His body trembled as he drew his knees up to his chest, his arms coming up to cover his head in a feeble attempt.

A face tempered like steel, looming above him.

The pain, the pain wouldn't go away. It was biting into him, engulphing him slowly, trapping him.

That's what he was now, trapped. Bars caged him in on all sides, blocking out the rest of the world, hiding the sky. Cold metal dug into his exposed skin, unmoving and uncomfortable.

They were taunting him. They were _laughing _at him. He didn't like that, didn't like what they had made him become. He didn't like the pathetic noises they forced out of him. He didn't like the pain.

Body crying out in pain as he gritted his teeth, he could taste blood. Arms shaking as he pushed himself up as best he could. The unwavering bars didn't let him get higher than his scared hands and knees. He would show them. He wasn't broken.

The laughing stopped. Cruel voices shouted, swore and cursed. The bars were gone as quickly as they had appeared and he was dragged out into the squelching mud. Pain erupted in his skull, in his ribs and in his legs. Screams ripped free from his throat, muffled by his mask as it was torn from his eyes and stuffed unceremoniously in his mouth.

_Breathe_, he couldn't breathe...

Disoriented, confused and broken, that's what they had made him. Glimpses, flashes of another life, of a different time, sprang into his mind, flashing behind his eyes. Blurry colours turned into shapes, which turned into memories.

Comforting words, gentle hands, kind eyes and soft voices surrounded him like a lullaby, taking away the pain, as faint as the memory of a sound.

The cold came back, biting and clawing and dragging him back into his cage, rough hands shoving and hitting him. He didn't have the energy to push them away.

_Why was it so hard to breathe?_

He was bowed like a mountain and breaking his oath and resolution like a twist of rotten silk.


	2. Chapter 1 Tremble

**A/n: Finally found the inspiration to update this. Thought it would be cruel to leave you all with nothing but a teaser chapter. Also, head over to my profile page and check out my latest poll. I'd love to hear your oppinion.**

* * *

_**B**reathe_

* * *

~Chapter One~

-Tremble-

Raphael didn't like the rain. It was cold and wet and made his mask stick annoyingly to his face. It made things slippery, and hard to grip, and he hated how it stung his eyes. Casey, on the other hand, didn't seem to have a problem with the rain.

"Oh lighten up Raph, it's only a bit of water," Casey teased, his smirk effectively hidden behind the white plastic of his beloved hocky mask.

"Yeah, well it's damn annoying," Raphael shot back, sending a withering glare at his best friend.

"Come on, it's refreshing," Casey said, tipping his head back to look up at the cloud-congested sky, closing his eyes at the feeling of the cold droplets of water splashing his face and rolling down the back of his neck.

Raphael only grunted in response. Every great poet, author and hopeless romantic had something beautiful to say about the rain, how each drop was like a crystalline tear from the very stars themselves. Raphael just snorted. It was just evaporated water falling from clouds, how could that be seen as romantic or poetic? Turning his attention back to the bustling city, his eyes narrowed and observing, like a hawk looking for its prey.

His golden eyes danced across the city he knew so well, hovering over the busy streets and dark secluded alleys. Despite the storm that was raging overhead, the city was as busy as ever. Cars flashed by in a mainstream of colours and noise, sending up waves of dirty rainwater wherever they went. Throngs of people cluttered the sidewalks, umbrellas and suitcases and newspapers held over their heads to shield them from the worst of the weather.

Thunder echoed in the distance, loud above the regular noise of the city, which Raphael new meant the storm was now very close. Flashes of lightning forked the ebony sky, briefly illuminating even the darkest of shadows, before fading away.

Raphael stiffened; he knew that if he wasn't careful he could easily be seen, lit up under the stark light of the flashing lightning.

A chilly breeze pulled lightly at Raphael's ruby-red bandanna tails. Raphael slapped them away from his face in annoyance. "If tha' Purple Dragons had any sense, they'd stay inside on a night like this."

"Come on Raph, they're stupid, course' a little rain ain't gonna stop em'," Casey laughed, pulling his favourite baseball bat into his hands, ready for action.

"Well it should," Raphael growled, grabbing his sai and twirling them expertly in his calloused and battle-scarred hands.

_The rain may wash the dirt away Raphael, but it will never cleanse you..._

Raphael shivered, and not from the cold. The Voice was back. But then again, he knew it had never really left him. It had always been there, hidden away in his mind, whispering things, dark things, and thoughts that pierced him like poisonous thorns.

He had first heard this 'Voice' in his head not long after Leo was made the leader of their small clan. The Voice had come from nowhere, talking to him in a voice like daggers, whispering, telling him that he wasn't good enough for his family.

Raphael had been scared and angry, unable to make the voice go away. And the more it talked to him, the more he started to listen.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the disturbing thoughts, Raphael growled as tiny water droplets flicked from his mask and spattered his eyes. God he hated the rain.

"Come on," he muttered, turning his back to Casey and clutching his sai tighter. "Let's go hunt some dragons."

They travelled in silence, leaping over the rooftops and scanning the distant horizon, blending inconspicuously into the shadows. Raphael kept his pace slow for his friend, knowing Casey couldn't go as fast as him, especially when they were leaping over gaping rooftops.

Casey panted behind Raph, blinking rain from his eyes as he focused on trying to keep his footing. The roofs got awfully slippery when they were wet.

"Hold up," Raph said, skidding to a stop and cautiously peering over the edge of a rooftop into the dark alley below.

"What is it?" Casey asked, taking the opportunity to get his breath back again.

"Shh!" Raphael hissed, crouching down low with narrowed eyes. "Dragons," he said in way of explanation, jerking his head down to the shadows. "Some kind of drug deal or somethin'."

Casey crouched down next to Raph, eyes narrowing as he clutched his bat tighter. A group of fifteen Purple Dragons crowded the alley below, tattoos disfiguring their skin and their faces set in permanent scowls. It was clear by the weapons in their hands, and by their rigid stances that they were in the middle of something important.

Raphael's eyes narrowed on the medium-sized crate lying in the middle of the Dragons, and watched how they were treating it with extreme care, like it could break at the slightest touch. Or explode.

A flash of moonlight reflected off the shiny barrels of guns clutched in the hands of a few members of the Purple Dragons. Raphael growled in annoyance. Guns always made things harder, not to mention being badly outnumbered and fighting in a cramped space didn't set the odds in their favour. Also the rain made things a bit more complicated.

Raphael thought quickly about calling his brothers for backup, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. He didn't want to see them, not yet.

"Think we can take em' on our own?" Casey asked with a sideways glance, as if reading Raph's thoughts.

"If we take out the guys with the guns first, yeah, I think so," Raphael said, amber eyes scanning the alley for anything they could use to their advantage. Nothing.

"We're gonna have ta' do this quick," Raphael said. "Disarm tha' guys with tha' guns, get whatever's in that crate, and get out. We don't need ta' give em' time to recover."

"Sounds like a plan," Casey said, a smile curling his lips from behind his hockey mask. His blood was starting to pulse with adrenaline. He knew he'd need it for this.

"You distract em'," Raphael continued, eyes scanning the Purple Dragons critically as he tried to figure out a plan that would leave them bullet-free. "I'll come up behind tha' three at tha' back and disarm em'. As soon as you see me, take tha' guys on yer' right."

"Got it," Casey nodded, gripping his bat tighter in his hands.

Raphael slipped quickly down the fire escape, a silent and deadly shadow. Casey came down after him, taking extra care to be as silent as he could be. The Purple Dragons hadn't noticed them, to engrossed in whatever deal they were trying to make.

Casey's sneakered feet touched solid ground. Seeing Raphael moving silently towards the back of the Purple Dragons, Casey swung his bat experimentally in his hands and walked straight towards the Purple Dragons, his gate casual and his stance relaxed.

"Didn't your mumma' ever tell ya' that ya' can catch a cold in this weather?" Casey asked in a loud voice, stopping a few metres away from the closest Dragon.

Their reaction was immediate, which Casey knew it would be. The murmuring stopped, only to be replaced by vicious snarls as the Purple Dragons turned around slowly, their beady eyes glittering with malic, and their lips turning up into a snarl as they gripped their weapons tighter in their calloused and scared hands.

"What? Was it somethin' I said?" Casey asked, raising his eyebrows mockingly behind his hockey mask.

"We don't have time for this tonight," one of the Purple Dragons spit. His head was shaved and he had gold piercings all over his face. His dull grey eyes narrowed in annoyance as he lifted his gun up, barrel aimed right at Casey's chest, his finger moving to the trigger that would end it all.

"I don't think so," Raphael snarled in his ear, swinging his fist up and slogging the Dragon in the temple. He fell with a startled grunt, gun slipping from his numb fingers and skittering across the ground, forgotten.

Leaping out of the shadows, Raphael twirled his sai in a wicked dance, eyeing the remaining Purple Dragons with guns. Slamming the butt of his sai into the closest Dragon's temple, Raphael whirled around and grabbed a gun off another Dragon, bending his arm back until he heard the sickening _snap _of the man's arm breaking.

Off to his side, Casey moved forward, baseball bat swinging and stealing the breath from the closest Purple Dragon. He watched the man drop before he moved onto the next, baseball bat already arching through the air to find its next target.

Raphael dodged the punch that was directed at his head and flipped the Purple Dragon over his hip. Hearing another one approaching, Raphael lashed out with a wide kick, muscles in his thigh flexing as he kicked the main solidly in the chest with enough force to lift him off the ground and into the adjacent dumpster.

The rain stung his eyes, turning the world hazy. Blinking the droplets away in annoyance, Raphael cast his gaze around for any more enemies. Casey was handling himself well, knocking one guy out with a hard punch to the face and kicking another in the knee, knocking him down to the filthy and puddle-strewn ground.

Raphael was about to turn his attention back to the remaining Purple Dragons, confident that Casey didn't need his help, when a flicker of movement caught his eye. Turning back, he saw a Purple Dragon advance slowly behind Casey, crowbar raised and about to come down on his best friend's head.

"Casey, look out!" Raphael shouted, whole body tensing and about to spring to his friend's aid.

But he didn't need to. Hearing Raphael's cry, Casey spun around and brought his bat up just in time to block the attack, knocking the crowbar from the Purple Dragon's hands and sending a harsh kick to his chest.

Casey turned around and grinned at Raph, dark blue eyes shining with adrenaline. Raphael returned the grin, able to ignore the rain as his blood spiked with the thrill that always came with fighting the Purple Dragons.

Suddenly Casey's face twisted in horror and his eyes widening in terror. "Raph, duck!" He cried hoarsely.

Raphael whirled round, but not fast enough.

He saw the Purple Dragon standing a few metres away, gun in hand and trained firmly on him. Then he heard the deafening _bang _he knew was to follow, and a white hot pain blazing agonizingly across his body.

Then he was flying through the air from the force of the impact, landing heavily on the hard ground with a _crash _before the world went black.


	3. Chapter 2 Goodbyes

**A/n: **Sincerest apologizes for the long absence and diminutive updates. Life is truly the biggest writers block, and a lethal dose of no inspiration are to blame. More than one occasion I have considered deleting my account, but something has always stoped me, and I'm glad it has. Seeing as it is Christmas, and the long holidays, I think it would be a good time to try and update as much as I can. So again, I apologize for the long wait, and thank you all for remaining with me. Enjoy

* * *

~Chapter Two~

-Goodbyes-

* * *

Leo paced agitatedly around the dojo, his brow furrowed in annoyance and his hazel eyes beginning to spark with obvious irritation. Don and Mikey watched him silently from afar, neither of them daring to speak or move from where they kneeled silently on the dojo floor.

"Where is he?" Leo finally snapped, halting his movements to lock eyes with Michelangelo and Donatello, his tone and issuing look demanding answers.

"I don't know," Don said in answer to his brother's directed question, his tone placating and soothing, as he shared a quick look with Mikey. "He didn't take his shell-cell with him."

Leo growled at the unsatisfactory answer, and resumed pacing, fuming and silently cursing his absent brother.

"At least we know he's out with Casey," Mikey spoke up hesitantly, his voice weary as Leo turned to face him, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, a solitary vein straining in his neck.

Swallowing the sudden rush of nerves that filled his belly like tiny butterflies, Mikey forced himself to continue; "You know how he gets when he's with Casey. They go out, knock some heads, maybe have a beer or two, and come home…eventually."

"Yes, but Raphael _knows _that I'm leaving soon!" Leo snapped, flinching inwardly as Mikey shrank back, a look of hurt flashing across his face.

"Maybe that's why he isn't back yet," Don said quietly, looking down at his hands that were curled up tightly on his knees.

Leo felt as if someone had punched him in the gut, leaving him breathless. "You don't think he wants to say goodbye?" Leo asked, swallowing the hard lump that had quickly formed in his throat, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"No," Donnie said quickly, shaking his head in protest. "I think Raph just needs some more time to cool his head before he comes back. He…he didn't take to you leaving very well, Leo…"

"I know Donnie," Leo said, closing his eyes as he forced himself to take a calming breath. "But this is something I have to do." He said, trying to convince himself more than his brothers.

"I know," Don said sadly, "but Raph doesn't. Give him some more time to calm down; he'll come around…eventually, you'll see."

"I hope so," Leo murmured, turning to gaze absently at the flickering yellow glow of the candles burning in the four corners of the room. "I just hope he gets here in time."

"Yeah, me to," Mikey whispered, "me to."

* * *

_Flashback_

_Leonardo stared numbly at his hands, fighting the urge to empty the contents of his stomach. It felt like thousands of tiny butterflies were trapped inside his chest, their feather-light wings turned to pointed shards of glass, cutting him open from the inside as they desperately tried to escape. _

_Leo had been anxious all day. For a week now, he had known that Master Splinter wished to share something very important with him, something that would help him to become a better leader, and though Master Splinter didn't say it, a better brother._

_All week Leo couldn't stop wondering what Master Splinter might have planned for him. At first he had thought that Master Splinter was simply going to take him away for a week or two to do some 'extra' training with him. But then Leo started thinking that he might be sent off to learn more from The Ancient One again._

_But now, crouching on his knees with his head bowed in the candle-lit room, Leo's mind was completely numb, as if all coherent thoughts had left him, like mist on a hot morning._

_And there was good reason for Leo's misgivings and anxious thoughts._

_For Master Splinter did not wish to train Leo himself, or send him to The Ancient One. No, he wanted to send him thousands of miles away from his home, his life, his family, the only thing he had ever known, to the jungles in Central America, where he would learn to train and live by himself…for a whole year…_

"_This is what must be done, Leonardo, if you wish to become a stronger leader for our family," Master Splinter said gravely, his whiskers twitching as he tried to hold back the heavy regret that lay in his heart._

"_I will not fail you, Sensei," Leonardo whispered, head bowed in acknowledge defeat._

"_I know you will not, Leonardo," Master Splinter replied, resting a paw gently on Leo's shoulder. "When you come back you will be much stronger, for your family. I trust in you, Leonardo."_

"_Hai, Sensei," Leo murmured, getting slowly and numbly to his feet._

"_You must tell your brothers, Leonardo," Master Splinter murmured. "I have already told them about your absence, but I think they would like to hear it from you as well."_

"_Thank you, Sensei." Leo bowed, closing the door softly behind him, his heart heavy in his chest._

* * *

Leo glanced at the clock on the far wall anxiously, mentally cursing the ticking hands. He knew that if he did not leave now, he would miss his plane. Swallowing the rigid lump that had taken residence in his throat, and quickly brushing aside the burning tears that stung his eyes, Leo picked up his single knapsack, and threw it over his shoulder, the weight already starting to feel like a burden he would have to shoulder alone for a year.

Trying to feign a smile, Leo embraced his two present brothers, wrapping his arms around them tightly, trying to implant their images permanently into his mind.

"Don, I trust you to lead this family whilst I'm gone," Leo said, composing himself as he pulled back to meet Don's wide, shocked brown eyes.

"But Leo…" Don's voice quivered slightly with disbelief, "shouldn't that honour go to Raph? He _is _the second oldest."

Leo sighed and shook his head sadly. "I need someone with a level head to take care of my family while I'm gone," Leo said firmly. "And that person is not Raphael."


	4. Chapter 3 These Blood-Stained Hands

**Chapter Three  
These Blood-Stained Hands**

Raphael screamed as the bullet tore through his leg, piercing through the flesh like a hot knife. Grunting, he fell to the ground in a pained heap, his leg giving way completely. Hot blood trickled through his fingers as he clutched at the wound, dark spots dancing in his vision as unconsciousness loomed up and threatened to pull him under.

His whole world was consumed by the pain. It felt like he was being stabbed over and over again by the sharpest blade that had just been pulled from the hottest fire. The pain lanced through his leg and traveled up his body, making him scream and spasm in pain. He felt like he was going to be sick, and he prayed that unconsciousness would hurry up and claim him, so he wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore.

"Raph!" Casey shouted in horror, seeing his friend fall to the ground in a painful heap. Letting lose a stream of violent curses, Casey swung his bat in a blind rage, none of his usual skill or grace involved, just pure anger and strength brought on by his rage.

He pushed through the remaining Purple Dragons, knocking them down like bowling pins as he fought his way desperately over to Raphael.

"Get the crate!" One of the Purple Dragon's yelled, hearing the faint but sharp cries of police sirens in the distance.

Two of the Purple Dragon's managed to duck under one of Casey's blows, and ran for the discarded crate, lifting it up and carrying it between them as they quickly made for the large black truck parked at the mouth of the rubbish-strewn alley.

One of the Purple Dragons stopped, leaning up against the wall and pulling a small cell-phone out of his pocket and quickly dialing a number on the pad. Pressing the phone up to his ear he said something frantically into the receiver, a grin starting to form at the corners of his lip.

It was a grin Casey didn't like.

"Purple Dragons!" He yelled, racing towards the two who were carrying the create carefully between them.

The two Purple Dragons looked over at Casey and quickly lowered the crate, pulling out their weapons once more.

"Forget about him!" The Purple Dragon who had been on the phone screamed. "Get the crate and get the turtle!"

Casey froze at the words, his heart sinking in his chest. They were going to take his friend.

_Not on my watch._

Growling, Casey leapt at the two Purple Dragons with unbridled rage, swinging his bat wildly at them. But these two Purple Dragons were more experienced than the others, and easily ducked under Casey's wild swings. Moving forward, they kicked him in his shins, and managed to knock his legs out from under him. Casey fell with a crash, hitting the cold ground with a heavy _thump. _

Casey grunted but quickly regained his feet, adrenaline coursing through him like a river. Whirling his baseball bat around, Casey knocked one of the Purple Dragon's fair in the face, causing the heavy-set man to stumble back and clutch at his bleeding and broken nose.

The second man growled and moved towards Casey again; swinging the length of chain he had curled around his fist. Casey jumped back, just missing the wild swing. Growling, Casey ducked and clubbed the man's shins with his bat, before rolling away and jumping to his feet.

"Enough already!" The first Purple Dragon snarled, his bloody nose forgotten. "We finish this now."

"Fine by me," Casey growled, jumping into the fray again. His hits became wilder, his movements more sloppy and fueled only by anger.

The second Purple Dragon with the coil of chain swung it around and yanked Casey's baseball bat out of his hand, causing Casey to stumble forward. The first Purple Dragon sent a harsh kick to his gut, winding Casey and making him fall to his knees, before he received a swift punch to the face, and sprawled out awkwardly on the ground.

"Let's go," the Purple Dragons said, turning away from Casey and loading the carte delicately into the back of their van.

Casey blinked, trying to see through the different colored dots that danced in his vision. He clutched his chest painfully, winded. He tried to move, tried to shift back to his feet, he couldn't give up, but a wave of dizziness and nausea quickly stopped him. He tried to blink through the haze of pain as he watched the Purple Dragons successfully load the crate away.

"Don't forget the turtle."

The words sent icy shivers down Casey's spine, as he quickly got to his knees, searching for his baseball bat.

Raphael's pained cry tore through the night as the two Purple Dragons grabbed him roughly and started dragging him towards the back of the truck.

"Raph!"

Casey lurched to his feet, stumbling towards his friend.

"Casey!" Raphael cried out, struggling vainly in the Purple Dragons grip. His eyes were wide and frightened, and hazed with pain.

"Casey, look out!"

A sharp pain exploded in the back of Casey's head as a steal pipe connected harshly with his skull. The last thing he saw was the Purple Dragons dragging Raphael into the back of the truck before everything went black.


	5. Chapter 4 The Deal

**Chapter 4  
The Deal**

Hun growled low in his throat, the sound a feral dog makes before it charges. Hands clasped tightly behind his back, and head bowed, Hun paced impatiently around the empty warehouse. He wasn't good with being kept waiting. Usually _he _was the one who kept people waiting.

The warehouse stood silent and still in the night. Half of the roof was missing, and the large, two-story windows had been smashed. Shards of glass littered the rotted wooden floor, mixed in with a thick layer of dust and debris, and rat droppings. Somewhere in the darkened corners of the shadow-clad room, a large rat squeaked, and ran across the floor before disappearing into a gaping hole in the wall. Pale moonlight shone weakly through the holes in the roof and windows, allowing just enough light to see, and creating enough elongated shadows to hide in.

Muttering curses under his brother that would have made his mother turn in her grave; Hun continued to pace the warehouse, growing increasingly more volatile and impatient as the seconds ticked by.

Hun briefly wondered if it was a trap, but quickly dismissed the idea. If it were a trap, he was more than prepared to handle it. Tapping the small but powerful gun that was strapped to his person, Hun allowed himself a brief smile. These knew weapons were going to make him rich.

The sudden feeling that he was no longer alone made Hun whirl around, his hand moving towards his gun.

"Relax; if I had wanted to hurt you, you would be hurting already."

The voice, heavy with a Japanese accent, spoke quietly from one of the darkened corners of the room.

"Karai," Hun growled, dropping his hand away from his gun. "You have kept me waiting. I don't not like to be kept waiting."

"That is none of my concern," Karai replied coolly, stepping out of the shadows, the moonlight catching the metal of her twin swords.

Hun scoffed and was tempted to reach for his gun again. He didn't like being treated like, like he was _beneath _her.

"I trust you that this is not a trap," Karai continued, hazel eyes piercing into Hun. "And if so, know that I have my Foot Ninjas waiting for my signal."

"It's not a trap," Hun growled, folding his giant arms across his chest. "We are here for business."

"Yes, that we are," Karai said. "I trust you have your proposals?"

Hun nodded.

"Very well," Karai said. "Let's hear them."

"Word has gotten out that you want to take control over the city again," Hun said with a smirk. "I believe I can help you achieve that."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Karai asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Simple. The only thing standing in your way are the turtles. Well, I have one of them."

Karai looked genially surprised. "You have one of the turtles?"

"He was wounded in a fight with my men. We managed to grab him before his friend woke up."

"Do you have proof of this?"

"See for yourself," Hun smirked, pulling out a dirty and tattered red mask.

"I see," Karai nodded.

"If word of this got out to the other turtles, which I'm sure it will in no time, you will have a very useful bargaining chip."

"And in return?"

Hun smiled. A ship full of weapons just fresh off the Black Market are expected to pull into harbour in the next few weeks. There will be cops everywhere. I want your Foot Ninjas to collect these weapons and deliver them safely to me."

"And that is all?"

"Yep, that's it."

"You strike a fair bargain," Karai acknowledge. "We will accept."

"Excellent. My men are waiting outside. They will give you the location to drop off the weapons, and the location of the turtle."

"I believe," Karai said slowly, "that this is the start of a very good alliance."


	6. Chapter 5 Bitter-sweet Memories

**Chapter 5 **

**Bitter-sweet**** Memories**

* * *

_~Michelangelo's' POV~_

Michelangelo watched Leo leave the lair with a heavy heart. He tried desperately to hold back the tears in his eyes, but a few slipped free. He knew this wasn't goodbye forever; Leo would be back in a year, it was only temporary. But what Michelangelo couldn't understand was why Raphael wasn't here to see his brother off. Sure, they had had a fight. Sure Raphael was still probably angry at Leo for leaving, but that didn't give him the excuse to not see him off. Leo would be gone for an entire _year, _and his second oldest brother wasn't even here to wish him the best.

Mikey turned to Donnie who was standing beside him. And though Don wasn't crying, Mikey could see his eyes glisten with moisture. Mikey wondered what was going through Donnie's head at that moment. In Leo's absence, Master Splinter had appointed Donnie as the new leader. A whole new weight had just been given to Don to burden his shoulders, and Mikey couldn't help but wonder how he would deal with it.

Mikey was a little miffed at first as to why Raphael hadn't been chosen to take over. He was the second oldest after all, and Mikey had assumed that the responsibility would naturally fall to him. But upon reflection, Mikey could see why Master Splinter had chosen Donnie instead. Raphael may be older, but Donnie was more passive. He was a lot more organised, and in some respects, a lot more responsible than Raphael. Plus, Raphael storming off in a huff didn't really paint him in a good light to be the new, responsible leader.

"Why didn't he come back?" Mikey asked, his voice trembling.

"What?" Donnie asked, like he had just been shaken out of his own thoughts.

"Why didn't Raph come back to say goodbye to Leo?" Mikey repeated, hoping that Donnie would have an answer, like he did for everything else.

Donnie sighed and absently scratched his head. "I don't know Mikey, I really don't know."

Mikey felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. If Donnie didn't know why, then who would. _What if Raph's been hurt? _Mikey thought to himself in worry. That was the only reasonable explanation Mikey could think of as to why Raphael wouldn't be here. But then, Raphael wasn't always reasonable, and he could very well be off sulking in the sewers or hanging with Casey in his apartment, drinking a beer and watching the footy, Leonardo the last thing on his mind.

"Come on Mikey," Donnie said, breaking through Mikey's thoughts as he rested a warm hand on his shoulder. "Let's get some dinner. I'm sure Raphael will be back soon."

Mikey glanced back at the door, all signs of Leonardo gone. "I miss him already," Mikey muttered.

"Yeah, I miss him too."

* * *

_~Casey's POV~_

Casey awoke with a groan. His head hurt like something fierce, and his whole body ached. He felt tired, like he had just finished a two day marathon, and hadn't slept in a week. He slowly blinked away the black dots that danced in his vision, waiting for the world to stop spinning before he even attempted to try and stand.

He tried to remember what happened, and briefly wondered if he was hung-over, but he couldn't remember drinking. Grumbling to himself, Casey slowly got to his feet on shaking legs. He had to lean against the wall for support as he tried to get his bearings.

He was standing in an alley strewn with garbage. The stench was nearly overpowering and made Casey gag. He studied the alley more closely, trying to piece together how he had gotten here and why. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a fight had taken place. Garbage cans had been knocked over and dark patches covered the ground. Casey wasn't an expert, but it didn't take one to know that the dark patches were blood.

In the middle of the alley, a particularly large patch of blood stained the concrete. There appeared to be tire tracks leading away from the blood and to the mouth of the alley, as if someone had tried to get away as quickly as possible.

Then memory came slamming back in, and Casey felt like he was going to be sick.

Raphael.

They had been out, getting some fresh air when they stumbled upon a group of Purple Dragons. Not ones to shy away from a fight, they had quickly engaged in battle. But then one of the Purple Dragon's had pulled out a gun, and Raphael had been shot.

"Oh no...Raph..." Casey felt his heart hammer in his chest with worry. They had taken Raphael. He didn't know how long he had been passed out for. He could be anywhere by now.

Casey turned and stumbled as quickly as he could to the nearest man-hole cover. He had to tell Raphael's brothers what had happened. They needed to find him, before it was too late.

* * *

**A/n: I apologise for the short chapter and late update. Inspiration was falling short for this. I hope to update a little quicker next time. Thank you all for your patience and continued support.**

**And thankyou **_**FoxXxXx**_**for giving me that little push to update**


	7. Chapter 6 Chained

**Chapter 6  
Chained**

* * *

Raphael felt like he was lost at sea. His limbs felt cramped and heavy, like he was squashed into a little old dingy. His head pounded wildly and he could taste the bitter tang of bile in the back of his throat. His right leg felt like it was on fire, and for a moment Raphael wondered if he had been bitten by a shark. The little boat that was more like a dingy tossed wildly about the waves, making Raphael feel sick. He briefly wondered why he was in a boat in the first place, and how he had managed to be trapped at sea, when dizziness rose up like a tsunami and pulled him under.

* * *

Raphael awoke in the back of a truck that felt like it was going a million miles an hour. He was in some sort of van with very bad suspension. Every little bump felt like the little van was trying to drive over a mountain. Raphael bounced around in the dark painfully, hitting his head multiple times against the steel interior. His leg ached like something fierce. Warm blood still trickled from the wound and congealed in a sticky pool down his calf. Raphael gingerly placed his hand over the wound and hissed. He couldn't remember exactly what had happened, but he knew with a heavy knot in his stomach that whatever it had been wasn't good, especially if he was still bleeding. Pulling his hand away, Raphael cringed at the warm wetness on his palm. He had to stop the bleeding before he bled to death in the back of a runaway van. Grunting, Raphael leaned up against the wall in a sitting position, stretching his bad leg out in front of him. He reached down and untied his belt sash before reaching up to untie his mask. Gripping the worn leather in his shaking hands, Raphael scrunched his mask up into a ball and shoved it in his mouth. Slowly, ever so slowly, he reached down and started to wrap the belt tightly around his leg, biting hard on his mask to muffle his screams.

Closing his eyes and breathing heavily, Raphael tried to keep himself from vomiting up the bile that was assaulting the back of his throat. He felt dizzy and the pain radiating up from his leg was blinding. He wanted to curl up into a ball and just let the black void of unconsciousness claim him. But he knew he couldn't. He had to try and figure out where he was and what had happened for him to be in this situation. He tried to concentrate. Closing his eyes, he evened out his breathing until he was feeling semi-calm.

He remembered racing across the rooftops with Casey. It was a normal night and they were doing their usual thing; looking for lowlife deadbeats to teach a lesson or two to. They had stopped to catch their breath on one particular rooftop when they had heard strange noises coming from the alley below. On closer inspection they had discovered a group of Purple Dragons doing some sort of deal. They had a crate with them, a crate that obviously had something very special in it, if the way they had been handling it were any indication. He and Casey had jumped in, like they always do, confident and cocky, like always.

Raphael remembered fighting, his fists a blur and his vision streaked with red. Then Casey had yelled something, his voice splitting through the haze. It had sounded panicky and frightened. He had yelled Raphael's name. It was a warning, Raphael realised a second later. A second too late.

He remembered turning in time to stare down a long obsidian barrel. There was a deafening nose and a sudden explosion of pain in his leg. He crumpled to the ground and that's when he had blacked out.

With a jolt Raphael realised that he had been shot. Raphael growled; he hated guns. He didn't know if the bullet was still buried in his leg or not, or if it had simply gone all the way through. He didn't particularly care to find out at the moment.

The next thing he realised with a sinking sensation in his gut was that he had been captured, most probably by the Purple Dragons. He didn't know how long he had been passed out for or how long he had been hauled up here in the back of the van. Hours could have passed, days even, Raphael couldn't be sure. What he was sure of was that he was getting out of here; now.

He tried to look around the penetrating darkness, but his eyes couldn't adjust to the gloom. Growling in frustration, Raphael slowly started to feel around him, hoping to bump into something, anything that might help him escape.

He was so immersed in his task of escaping that he hadn't noticed that the truck had stopped, and the sound of approaching footsteps had grown louder.

* * *

Casey stumbled around the sewers, still dizzy from the hit to the head. His heart lurched with panic, and his skin was sleek with sweat. He felt like he was going to be sick. How could he have been so stupid? His best friend was gone, and now he had to tell his family that he had been helpless to stop what had happened.

Casey had a bad feeling in his gut, like a lump of ice. He only hoped that the turtles would know what to do, because if they didn't, Casey doubted he would ever see his best friend again.


	8. Chapter 7 The Caged Beast

**Chapter **7

**The Caged Beast**

* * *

_Hun's POV_

Hun smiled smugly as the crate was gently lowered down in front of him. Running his hands across the wooden surface, he took meticulous care to make sure that there were no obvious signs of damage to his precious cargo.

"I trust there was no damage sustained," Hun growled, looking up at the Purple Dragon that had delivered the crate.

"No, Hun, no damage was sustained," the Purple Dragon replied. "Although, we did run into one of the turtles' and the vigilante."

"And you took care of the situation?"

"Of course. Grudge managed to shoot the turtle in the leg."

"And then what was done with him?" Hun demanded.

"Grudge and his mates locked him up in their truck; said something about selling him or fighting him for money."

"Good," Hun grinned, pleased with the outcome. "That will be one less turtle to worry about. What about the human?"

"Knocked him out cold. Left him there too."

"So now when he wakes up he's going to run and tell the other turtles," Hun mused. "This could prove to be...interesting. Very interesting in deed."

* * *

_Raphael's POV_

Raphael jerked awake with a start. He hadn't even realized that he had dozed off.

_Great, now I've wasted more time, _he thought bitterly, testing his restraints again. They were still too tight- Raphael wasn't going anywhere soon.

Slumping back against the wall of the truck, Raphael tried to think clearly through the haze of pain that was descending upon him. His leg ached furiously to the point where it was starting to become unbearable.

There was the sudden squeal of breaks and the truck came to a jarring halt. Raphael grunted in pain as he hit the wall with the sudden jolt. He shook his head as dizziness started to creep up on him.

A sudden light made him squeeze his eyes shut. The sound of loud, gruff voices and approaching footsteps broke through the haze of pain, and Raphael opened his eyes. Three large men stood before him inside the truck, sadistic grins curling their lips.

"I see our friend here is finally awake," one of them smirked, moving forward with what looked like a length of rope in his hands.

"Stay away from me, bastard," Raphael growled, trying to free his hands from his bonds.

"Haha, looks like we got ourselves a _snapping _turtle," one of the other man laughed, advancing closing.

Raphael growled low in his throat; they had gotten to close. He struggled to free himself as he tried to head-butt one of the thugs. He missed and landed awkwardly on his chest. The thugs took this opportunity to tie the length of rope around his wrists. Smiling and laughing, they started to pull Raphael out of the truck by the end of the rope, having created a crude looking leash.

Raphael was pulled out of the truck and into the harsh sunlight. He fell painfully on his shell, his arms trapped awkwardly beneath him. Blinking in pain and confusion, Raphael realised with a jolt that they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. He was in a small clearing. Trees surrounded them on all sides, like a cage made from nature.

Raphael didn't have a lot of time to wonder where he was, as more people got out of the truck and started to approach him.

"Time to have some fun, boys," the thug that had dragged him out of the truck smiled coldly.

Raphael growled and tried to roll over onto his knees, but wasn't quick enough. A swift kick to his exposed ribs had him landing painfully on his shell again. Raphael grunted in pain as a group of men closed in around him, kicking his exposed flesh and laughing gleefully at his obvious pain. One man kicked his bad leg, which made Raphael scream in pain, which only made the men laugh harder.

"That's enough!" A sharp, deep voice yelled out, practically oozing authority.

The men parted, their cruel laughter dying off. Through the bruises that were starting to form on his face, Raphael saw a large man slowly walk towards him. The man had shoulder length blonde hair, pale blue eyes and was well built. The left side of his face was scared and his arms were covered in tattoos.

"Aw come on, Chief, we were only having some fun."

"That may be," the man known as Chief growled. "But in case you haven't noticed, he is already damaged. If you idiots keep beating it, interest will go down. How do you expect to get a good deal if you damage the cargo?"

Raphael spat on the ground, his blood boiling at the words. "I ain't an it, and I ain't your damn cargo either."

"Someone shut the thing up. We will camp here for tonight and leave at sunrise." Chief said, his eyes piercing as he said each word.

The men moved forward again and held Raphael down on the ground as one of them taped his mouth shut. Raphael struggled but couldn't break free. Grabbing his chains, the men dragged him over to a wooden pole in the ground and chained him to the post.

Raphael felt all of his energy leave him, as he tried to get enough air through his beak. He closed his eyes and prayed that he would come up with a plan to escape. Because he had a feeling that these men meant serious business. He was no longer being treated like some kind of freak, or a mutant.

He was chained and bound like an animal.

* * *

**A/n: Not good news for Raphie :( Hopefully the others will find him soon...**

**Thank you all for reading, more to come soon :) let me know what you thought**

**~Cat**


End file.
